Freedom
by random103
Summary: Lucy Heartfilia has been trapped inside a tiny house for her whole life. Her only visitor is the mysterious Natsu Dragneel. With Natsu's help, will Lucy ever gain her freedom, or will she remain locked away? - NaLu, AU.
1. Chapter 1

Hello, readers! I know that I still have to finish 'Let Me In', but there's no harm in posting other stories, is there? I hope you like it! (The rating might change as the story progresses, but for now it's K+).

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail; it all belongs to Hiro Mashima.

* * *

Lucy Heartfilia sat beside her window, looking at the outside world. How exciting it would be, to know that you were free and able to go wherever you wished? Having been trapped in a tiny house on a mountain all her life, her books, and imagination, were her only solace.

She heard the door creak, and stood up. It had to be him. Her heartbeat sped up.

"Hey, Luce!" Bright pink hair peeked through the doorframe.

"H-Hi, Natsu! You're early." She said softly, trying to calm her heart. She waited as he walked in, smiling, as always. Apart from her books, he was her only link to the outside world, and her best friend.

"Yeah, well, I don't want you gettin' lonely." He grinned at her. She smiled back, hoping he wouldn't notice her blush.

"Do you want something to eat?"

"That'd be great; thanks!"

Could you have a best friend if he was the only person you had ever met?

She busied herself making food for him, while internally panicking over her appearance. Her blonde hair was tangled, she was dressed in a baggy shirt and shorts, and she-

"You look great, as always." His voice was soft.

She looked at him, startled. Was he a mind reader?

"Thanks, I guess?" She smiled, bringing over a plate of sandwiches to her small dining table. She watched in fascination as he devoured all of them.

"Does everybody in the outside eat like this?" She inquired. He paused, looking up.

"Oh, no. It's just that you cook so well, I can't help myself."

"O-Oh."

They sat in silence for a while, before she worked up the courage to ask him a question. She asked it every time he came, and he always gave the same answer.

"Um, when will I be able to go outside?" She asked, hoping against hope that he'd give a different answer.

"I don't know yet. I'm sorry, Lucy." There was genuine pain in his oynx eyes. She blinked away tears, not wanting to appear weak. It was always the same thing. Never any way of knowing when she'd be able to get out, no hope.

"It's alright. It's just that...that I've been in this house for seventeen years already. Will I live my whole life imprisoned in here?" Despite herself, she felt tears running down her cheeks. He stiffened, and moved to sit next to her. He put his arms around her, and she sunk gratefully into his embrace.

"Luce...I will get you out of here. I promise." He looked straight at her, and she nodded while running her sleeves across her face.

"T-Thank you, Natsu. Sorry for being such a crybaby."

"You're not a crybaby, Luce. In fact, you're one of the bravest people I have ever met." She felt a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"You always know how to make me feel better, don't you." She said, now laughing.

"It's a talent of mine." He chuckled.

"Do you want to read my draft? I started a new story." She offered bashfully. He nodded eagerly. She walked over to her desk, where a sheaf of paper lay. Picking it up, she handed it to him. He began reading it.

"Um, Natsu?" She said, curious about something.

"Yeah? This story is great, by the way."

"Thank you. I was just wondering; what's the outside world like? Is it all mountains and valleys?" She questioned innocently. He sighed, running a hand through his pink hair.

"Well, it's hard to describe, but I'll try." She leaned forward, interested. "There are cities, with tall buildings called skyscrapers. They're like mountains, but made of metal and glass. And the streets are always really busy, with people, and cars."

"Cars? You mean like those box things with wheels?" Lucy asked. She felt excited about the outside, yet intimidated as well.

"Yeah. They come in different shapes and sizes. It's really noisy, but it is also very fun. And when you exit the cities, you go into the suburbs. The suburb's are quieter, and they have more house like this one. You have schools, where children go to learn, and offices where people go to work and earn money. It's not all mountains; you have oceans, deserts, plains, rivers, and other things."

"I wish I could go." Lucy sighed to herself. Skyscrapers, cars, offices, schools. The ocean was a special dream of hers. A ...it all sounded like a dream. How could she, a girl on a remote mountain who'd never even stepped outside her backyard, experience all these things?

"Don't worry, Lucy. Someday, you will go into the cities, and everywhere else. I promise."

"You are psychic! How'd you know I was thinking that?" She exclaimed.

"You're really easy to read." He smirked.

"Hey, Luce? Is that fence still functioning?" He asked. She nodded sadly. When she was young, she had tried to escape. They (she still didn't know who took care of her when she was young) had caught her, but as an added precaution, a 24/7 electric fence had been installed around her house. She couldn't go out, no matter how badly she wanted to. All she knew was that it was some kind of experiment, and Natsu was the only one who was allowed to talk to her.

"Luce, I've got to go, sorry." He guiltily said, looking at his watch.

"Oh, okay! B-Bye, Natsu." She said, feeling sadness drill a hole in her heart.

"I'll see you in two weeks?" He asked. She nodded and tried to smile.

She watched him go, a small dot on the horizon, getting smaller and smaller.

 _When will I finally be free?_

* * *

"Hey, flame-brain? Where were you?!" Gray Fullbuster, a member of the organization Fairy Tail, and sworn frenemy of Natsu Dragneel demanded.

"None of your business, stripper. And put a shirt on!" Natsu said shortly. Gray looked down in surprise.

"Not again!" He said in exasperation. Taking advantage of Gray's distracted state, Natsu slipped away.

"Oy, come back, ash head!"

"Why should I listen to you, snowman?" Natsu retorted. As they both began punching each other, a shadow loomed over the two.

"Are you two _fighting_?" Erza Scarlet asked. The two gulped, and threw their arms around each other hurriedly.

"O-Of course not, ma'am! Why would we fight? We're good friends!" Gray said.

"What he said!" Natsu replied.

"Hm. Natsu, where were you? You didn't come to the guild this morning." The Fairy Tail Guild was a detective agency, which offered trained agents to investigate crimes throughout Magnolia, and, in fact, Fiore.

"Yeah, I had something to do." Natsu said awkwardly, and it was clear he wasn't going to say anything more.

"Anyways, there is a job on the request board for 1 million jewels. I thought you two, Wendy, and I could take it." She handed the paper to Natsu. Gray read it over his shoulder.

"Uh, Erza?"

"Yes?"

"This is a request to sample cake!" They both yelled at the same time.

"Yes! Think about it! Getting paid to eat all that cake..." She had stars in her eyes. They sighed. What could they do?

"I already asked Wendy. Begin packing at once! Natsu, are you going to take Happy this time?"

"Course! He's a part of the team!" Natsu's cat, Happy, usually came on jobs with him. For reasons nobody could fathom, he treated it like a sentient person who could talk. They just accepted it as one of his quirks.

Even though Natsu talked and joked with the guild, as usual, a certain blonde was still on his mind.

 _When will she finally be free?_

* * *

How is it? Good, bad, horrible? Please review and give me feedback! I'll probably make this a multi-chapter story, so please review so future chapters are better. Hope you enjoyed it. =)

\- random103


	2. Chapter 2

Hi! I hope you enjoy this chapter of 'Freedom'. Review and tell me what you think. :D

* * *

"Ugh..." Natsu's face resembled a bud in the process of blooming. He was hunched over in his seat, almost about to throw up. "I..hate trains.." He made some _extremely_ disgusting retching noises.

"That's revolting!" Gray made a big show of holding his nose.

"For heaven's sake, Natsu. Pull yourself together! We haven't even been on the train for five minutes." Erza told him sternly. She would have knocked him unconscious, but she was carrying a box of pastries (gifts from the client) in her hands and didn't want to risk squashing them.

"Wendy..D-Didn't you carry those Troia pills with you? They were so-" He broke off, putting a hand on his stomach. Wendy grimaced apologetically.

"I'm so sorry, Natsu-san! I would give them to you, but I left them at home! I'm really sorry!" Wendy was feeling terribly guilty. She didn't know what to do. She glanced at her white cat, Carla, who was sitting contentedly in her lap. Wendy had a feeling Carla was telling her to stop being so apologetic.

"Pathetic, fire-loser. Can't ya even handle a train ride?" Gray smirked at Natsu, who was feeling too sick to reply.

The train slowed down, and Magnolia station came into view. Even before the train came to a complete stop, Natsu jumped out of the vehicle.

"Um, sir, that's dangerous-" The bemused people on the station were ignored by Natsu, who promptly regained his composure and was letting Happy off the train.

"Natsu, stop making a scene!" Erza barked at him, and he cowered in fear, nodding. Gray got off, followed by Wendy, who was carrying Carla.

"Well, since - for once - Natsu caused no trouble, we got the full reward. Dividing one million jewels four ways, that means each of us gets - wait a second," Erza did the math "250,000 jewels!"

"Hey, what about Happy?" Natsu interjected.

"He shares from your part. Problem?" she glowered at him. He shook his head sheepishly.

"Well, I'm starved! Anyone wanna come grab a bite with me?" Natsu asked cheerfully.

"Er, Natsu-san? You ate about fifty of those cinnamon rolls back at the bakery. How can you still be hungry?" Wendy asked confusedly.

"Well, that's the million-dollar question, isn't it, Wendy?" Gray said before Natsu got a chance to reply. "Why is Natsu such a moron? I doubt we'll ever know."

"What was that, ice-freak?"

"You heard me, flame-dork!"

"Stop your nonsensical squabbling now!"

"Yessir! I mean, yes ma'am!"

They continued with similar banter until they reached the guild (with Erza stopping to unload all her stuff along the way). Gray and Natsu continued to insult each other until Erza stepped in, and Wendy told Mirajane all about the job. The guild was notably quieter than usual since many jobs had come up. Still, there were enough people left to cause a ruckus.

"Alrighty, then! I've got something' I need to do, so goodbye!" Natsu abruptly ended the conversation and left the guild hall, taking Happy with him. He didn't even stop to say goodbye or grab some last bits of food.

"He's been acting strange, lately. Wonder what's up with him?" Gray commented.

"Gray-sama is so caring! He is such a wonderful comrade!" Out of nowhere, Juvia popped up with hearts in her eyes. (Everyone ignored her.)

"That's true, though. He hardly goes out apart from jobs anymore." Erza said.

"Think he got himself a girlfriend?" Cana smirked from behind her barrel of alcohol.

"Natsu? Nah. No way that idiot would ever get a girl to go out with him." Gray scoffed. Still, they all wondered why he had been acting so strangely lately.

* * *

"Say, Happy, what d'you think I should get Lucy? Her birthday is coming up soon, and I wanna get her something nice." Natsu chatted idly with Happy. The blue-coloured cat meowed in reply while eating a fish. Where he got the fish from, Natsu didn't know.

"Good point, though, little buddy. I should get her something meaningful, not just an empty trinket." He had no idea why this girl was so special to him, just that he hated seeing her upset.

His eyes fell on an advertisement for a newly-opened store. He grinned. "That's perfect!"

Standing up, he grabbed Happy (the cat went everywhere with him) and ran out in a hurry. It was cloudy, but didn't look like it was going to rain, so he didn't even bother with a coat.

After bargaining for what seemed like ages, he finally found one that satisfied him. Paying to the storekeeper, he exited the shop with a huge smile on his face. He carried Happy in one hand, and his prize in the other.

"Puun puun?" The small white dog stared up at him. It had a pointy orange nose, wide black eyes, and was quite possibly the most adorable creature in existence.

"This is a Nikora breed dog. Apparently they're really good pets but aren't much good at anything else. They don't need much care and need very little exercise. What do you think, Happy? Lucy's gonna love him." Natsu smiled, feeling extremely proud of himself. He walked happily all the way home, occasionally making 'conversation' with Happy and/or the dog (whom Natsu had decided to let Lucy name).

Closing his door behind him, he put both of them down. Happy scampered towards his 'spot' and settled down contentedly. The dog remained where it was, not seeming hungry or tired. it just let out noises that vaguely resembled barks sometimes.

He sat down and checked all his mail. He mostly got e-mail (who sent real letters nowadays?), but today, there was a letter waiting for him in his mailbox. Staring at the old-fashioned wax seal, his heart quickened. Tearing it open, he hurriedly read it. He gazed at it in disbelief.

Hurrying to make himself presentable, he rushed out the door, completely forgetting about Happy and the Nikora dog.

"They can't do this to her." He growled under his breath, and then he left.

 _Dear Mr. Dragneel,_

 _We would like to thank you for performing your given task of taking care of Lucy Heartfilia for the past seven years. The experiment has reached a conclusion, and we have also reached a decision. The entire Council has decided that she is a potential threat to the balance that the Council has reached. They have voted, and they have decided that she is too dangerous to be allowed to live free. Though you have taken admirable care of her, we feel the time has come to move her to a laboratory, where the full extent of her powers will be tested._

 _If she cooperates, she has nothing to fear. The entire Council was unanimous in this decision; Lucy Heartfilia is to serve as a guinea pig._

 _We are asking you to guide her out of her current location, to the chosen laboratory. If she doesn't come willing, you have permission to use force as is necess_ _ary. Once she arrives, she will be further experimented upon. If she is unable to cope with the circumstances, then the only humane thing to do would be to end her life. If push comes to shove, we hope you will perform the deed._

 _She must be moved to the enclosed location within one month._

 _Sincerely,  
Balam Alliance Enterprises_

"'Nothing to fear', my ass." He swore under his breath. Natsu had infiltrated the Balam Alliance seven years ago as an undercover agent, in hopes of gathering information. Contrary to what people thought, he was actually a very good spy, able to gain prominence within the company relatively quickly, even though he was only eleven at the time. There were three main companies in the Balam Alliance Enterprises; the Oración Seis, Grimoire Heart, and Tartaros. He hated all of them with a passion but had quickly learned of their most well-kept secret: Lucy.

Now they wanted to take her away from him. No way in hell was he going to let that happen. Ever.

No one would harm Lucy while he was still alive.

* * *

Sorry there isn't any Natsu-Lucy interaction in here, but I didn't know how to fit that in. I hope that I didn't reveal too much stuff right off the bat, I tend to do that (sorry if I did)! Please, review and tell me what you think! =)

\- random103


	3. Chapter 3

Hello, everyone! I hope you enjoyed the previous chapters, and hopefully you'll like this chapter as well. Please, review, so I can improve my writing :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail; it all belongs to Hiro Mashima.

* * *

"Gramps!" Natsu demanded, storming into the guild. He ignored everyone's calls. Even Gray's shouts of "Oi, flame-brain!" did nothing to sway him. He walked straight towards the guild's head, Makarov Dreyar. Everyone called him 'Master' Makarov, or, in Natsu's case, Gramps.

"Yes, Natsu? What is it?" The old man asked from his perch atop the counter. Before Natsu said anything, the old man's face paled.

"Don't tell me you destroyed property _again_! I got billed over 100,000 jewels for the last place you wrecked! If you did it again-"

"I didn't destroy anything." Natsu interrupted him. "It's about something else." He gazed said pointedly, causing Makarov to nod meaningfully. The man jumped down and walked towards his private office, with Natsu following him. The rest of the guild looked on in bemusement, wondering what could possibly have happened to make Natsu, as well as the master, ignore them all.

Inside the guild master's office, Natsu wordlessly held out the letter he had gotten. Makarov took it and read it. As he reached the end, wrinkles appeared on his brow. Giving the letter back to Natsu's hands, he sighed and sat down on his chair (which had had to be made extra-tall for him).

"Did you do anything suspicious?" He asked. Natsu shook his head.

"I acted normally. I kept procrastinating on how to move her, so I could get time to think, but it seems they've finally had enough." His voice betrayed all the panic he was feeling.

"Well, first, we need to inform the Council so they can make a decision."

"Decision?! Lucy's life is in danger and they want to deliberate? That's crap!" Natsu said heatedly. The other man held his hand up.

"Of course, no matter what they decide, we're going to rescue her anyways." He said, cracking a small smile.

"What about Doranbolt?" Natsu questioned. Doranbolt was an ally of the Council, who had been assigned to help Fairy Tail infiltrate the Balam Alliance. He was a cross between a partner and an informant. This was a top secret mission; nobody else in the guild knew about it.

"We'll have to tell him as well. For now, act like everything is fine when you go see Lucy, but just find a way to tell her the truth. Mention nothing about getting her out, though."

"Alright. Meanwhile, I'll try to find out what the Alliance intends to do with Lucy." Natsu said determinedly. The master expressed agreement, and he left the office.

Gray and Erza talked in the guild hall. They had considered eavesdropping on the conversation but decided that the risks of being caught outweighed the knowledge they would gain from listening in.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Gray asked.

"I don't know. I've rarely seen Natsu so serious, though." Erza said solemnly.

"Do you think...that it's about Igneel?" Gray queried. Natsu's foster father was rarely mentioned. Apparently, Igneel had found Natsu as a baby, and had raised him like his own son. However, one day, he just mysteriously disappeared, without leaving behind a trace of himself. Natsu had then wandered around the country, looking for Igneel, until he reached Fairy Tail, where the guild took him in, and cared for him. Natsu was always searching for Igneel, but guild members rarely mentioned him out of respect.

"It could be. However, Natsu looked angrier, rather than anything else. It was probably bad news, whatever it was." Erza replied. They both lapsed into a thoughtful silence.

Natsu soon emerged from the room. They both went over to him, asking about it.

"It was nothing, guys. Listen, Happy and I are all outta food money, so we should probably take another job. The 250,000 jewels from the last mission were all spent on fish for Happy, damn cat!" He said hurriedly. They raised their eyebrows at his not-so-subtle change of subject.

"F-Fine. There's a request asking for four people to help guard a bank. The reward's pretty big. Whaddaya say, ass-flame?" Gray asked.

"Sure, I - Wait, what did you say, ice princess?!" Natsu asked angrily. They both internally sighed; he was still as hotheaded as ever. However, it was clear something was bothering him. But what?

* * *

Lucy scrunched up her face in concentration, trying to think of a suitable plot twist. Using an old pen she had dredged up from somewhere, she finished writing the last line in her newest chapter. Capping the pen with a flourish, she sat back.

After Natsu had left, she had been bored out of her mind. She had used an old 'thing' she had begged from Natsu to read stuff for a while, but staring at the tiny screen for long periods of time made her head ache. It was practically useless for anything else, though. She had finally put it away and stopped procrastinating, and began writing her story.

It was about a teenage girl like her, named Elie. Elie was an almost-ordinary girl, but she lived in the magical kingdom of Fiore, where there were wizarding guilds who had mages who used magic. She went on adventures with her friends and did whatever she wanted. She had used Natsu's descriptions to create her dream world. Her protagonist was confident, powerful, and, most importantly, free.

"Now, if only I could find a way to get out of this prison, I'd be happier than ever." She sighed. She'd have to wait two whole weeks for Natsu to visit her again. Two weeks before she got to talk to another person. It seemed like an eternity.

She stood up and stretched out her body, feeling her muscles loosen. Moving to the tiny yard behind her house, she savoured the fresh air.

She had tried putting up red flags and messages from above the electric fence, in the hopes a traveller would see them and come to investigate. So far, however, it had been a fruitless effort.

She couldn't keep her mind from wandering into dangerous territory. Her memories of her childhood were so fuzzy as to be nonexistent, but she still analysed them carefully. Scrutinizing them for any detail, she was always disappointed. It was somewhere along her past, she had decided that she didn't _want_ to remember, and had sealed all her memories away.

What could be so horrible that her own mind wouldn't cooperate with her?

Shaking her head, she started running. It was a tiny space, but she needed to stay healthy, so she exercised nonetheless. After running ten laps (it really was a small space), she stopped to regain her breath. Determined not to let her mind digress, she ran faster, focusing on nothing but the path directly in front of her.

She would wait however long it took to be free, because she couldn't bear to think anything else.

* * *

Sorry that there isn't much plot development in this chapter (or any Natsu-Lucy interaction), but I'm still figuring out how to pace this story. Thanks for reading, and please, review! Even a couple words can motivate me. ^_^

\- random103


	4. Chapter 4

Hi! I apologize; this chapter is a little (VERY VERY) overdue. I have no excuse - I'm just a really big procrastinator. Also, about my other ongoing story, 'Let Me In'; I am incapable of writing more than one story at a time (I'm just really lazy), so I'll try to finish this one first. Sorry!

I hope you still enjoy this chapter, though! Please review and tell me what you think :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail; it belongs to Hiro Mashima.

* * *

"Natsu Dragneel has been visiting her as usual, sir." The soldier felt his body trembling. Not prone to submission, he didn't kneel to people as a rule. However, something about this person told him that groveling was the only way to escape with his life.

"Good." The voice was surprisingly mellow, but there was an undertone of danger. This person was not one to be trifled with. "Any abnormalities?"

Death.

That was the perfect word to describe this person, the soldier realized. In fact, it fit with the whole blasted organization! It was all about death, sadness, pain. How could they cause others to wallow in misery like them? Every nook and cranny of every place, filled with despair. The headquarters of the Oración Seis (first the fortress, then the city of Nirvana), the ship of Grimoire Heart, and Tartaros's headquarters, the Cube. All were filled with darkness and shadows.

"None, sir. Except, she has been wishing for freedom more frequently, but our psychologists predicted that." He was going mad. Driven to the brink of insanity by the utter evil around him.

"You may leave." They sounded hollow, almost sad. Why? Hell if he knew, or wanted to know.

"Thank you." He forced out.

He backed out of the room as quickly as possible. The room was a mix of light and dark. There was artificial light made to look like sunlight filling the room. But the far side was shrouded in darkness. He felt himself give an involuntary shudder. It was like magic, how dark they all were.

He practically ran out the building. Feeling exceptionally glad to be away from that place, he breathed in the fresh air with a smile on his face. The sun was shining merrily, and the sky was a cloudless blue. It was warm, but not hot enough to be uncomfortable. It was a truly beautiful day.

He walked past all the buildings in the complex. There was the Cube, which was meant to be imposing. There was a strange looking man talking to himself in a reedy voice, saying "How much? How much?" over and over again. That was probably Franmalth. He was rumoured to be a little soft in the head.

Then he walked past Grimoire Heart. The master Hades resided in the headquarters along with the Seven Kin of Purgatory, an elite group. There used to be seven in total, but two, Meredy and Ultear, and defected and formed an independent guild. Good for them. The one that really scared him, though, was Blue Note. The man was ruthless, and supposedly extremely powerful.

He paused, stopping right before the city of Nirvana. The five members of the Oración Seis could usually be found here. The sixths and former master, Brain, had been expelled by the guild, for being too weak, or something.

However, today, the city was empty. The breeze blew through it, creating an unearthly image.

He frowned. Were they all out? That was unusual. They were only sent out altogether when an extremely dangerous enemy had come.

Strange.

* * *

 **Two weeks later...**

Natsu knocked on the small wooden door, grinning from ear-to-ear. He was finally going to be able to see Lucy again, _and_ he had the most awesome present ever for her (he hoped).

There was a flurry of movement behind the door, and it creaked open slowly, revealing a nervous-looking blonde. She was dressed in a sleeveless white top with a blue stripe across the middle and was wearing a short blue skirt. She wasn't wearing shoes - considering she wasn't about to go out, but she was wearing plain white socks. Her hair was down as well.

Natsu thought she looked adorable.

"H-Hey, Natsu! Thanks for coming." She said, opening the door wider. He walked in.

"Happy birthday, Luce!" He waved to her with his left arm. By his feet, was his cat, Happy. And under his right arm were three bags with lumps in various places.

"You remembered." She said, smiling softly.

"'Course I did. How could I forget? Here's your present." He said nonchalantly. He held out his arms, only to withdraw them again.

"Shit! It was somewhere here, where'd it go?" He dropped the bags and began digging his hands in them, frantically searching for something. Looking at the top of his pink head as he looked desperately, she giggled. Softly, at first, until it became a full-blown laugh.

"Hey! Why're you laughing at m-" He interrupted himself as he found what he was looking for.

"Find it yet?" She inquired in between bursts of laughter.

"Mhmm. Now close your eyes." He demanded, hiding something behind his back.

"No fair! I don't wanna." She pouted. He grinned and shrugged as if to say 'take it or leave it'.

"Meanie." She said, mock-frowning and shutting her eyes. She felt his hand on her right shoulder, gently guiding her towards someplace. From what she could make out, he was leading her to a wall which contained a window that overlooked the mountains beyond. She felt suddenly breathless as he moved closer towards her.

"Happy Birthday, Lucy Heartfilia." His voice was husky. She opened her eyes, and gasped.

Propped up with it's back to the window, was the most adorable creature she had ever set eyes on.

"Oh my god! He's...so...CUTE! Thank you, thank you, thank you, Natsu!" She cried, taking him into her arms. It shivered, and looked up at her with inquiring black eyes.

"He's a Nikora, right? I've read about them! They come from Canis Minor, and are really good pets. I'm going to name him Plue! He's so-" She rambled on and on, cuddling the snowman-like dog to her. He chuckled, relieved.

"Glad you like it." He said quietly.

"I love it." She smiled brightly at him. He gulped and nodded.

"A-Anyways, that's not all." He said, motioning to the other bags he had brought with him.

"There's more?!" She said, dumbfounded.

"Hey, you're turnin' seventeen, Luce! That's gotta warrant some sort of party, right? And what's a party without cake?" He said, bringing out a medium-sized vanilla cake, covered in white cream. Written in bold pink letters were the words, _Happy Birthday Lucy_. Judging from the crookedness, he had written them himself.

He didn't tell her, but he had had to beg Mirajane to bake it for him using Lucy's favourite recipe. The woman had raised an eyebrow when he had requested her, as he didn't really like sweet things. He had had a hell of a time keeping Erza away from it.

With a flourish, he also unveiled the contents of the other bags, revealing them to be stacks of books, some of her favourites, and some new ones. Levy had been very skeptical about getting them for him, but he had begged her, and so she acquiesced.

"Natsu..."

"I hope it's okay...I didn't know what else to get." He shifted from one foot to another anxiously.

She rushed forward and tackled him in a bear hug, startling him for a minute. Then, he wrapped his arms around her, happy that she was happy.

"Thank you, Natsu." A whisper was heard.

* * *

Phew. *wipes their sweat off brow* I hope that was satisfactory! If it's not...well...sorry? I'll try to do better next time, I promise! Can you guess who the soldier is? Thanks for reading, please drop a review if you have something to say =)

\- random103


	5. Chapter 5

Hi! I'm so proud of myself - I actually wrote two chapters within the span of one week! *sob* Aren't you proud?

...Anyways, thank you to _taboadavyonne_ and _Kat the Neeko_ , whose kind reviews inspired me! Please review as well, it does motivate me =)

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail; it belongs to Hiro Mashima

* * *

Gray, Erza, Gajeel, Juvia, and Levy were all huddled around the bar. Mirajane and Lisanna were also listening to their conversation with interest.

"Something is definitely wrong with Natsu," Erza stated, her brow furrowed. Everyone nodded.

"When I punched him this afternoon, he smiled at me. _Smiled_ at me! Something's really off." Gray said, shivering at the memory.

"Juvia agrees with Gray-sama!"

"Why am I here?" Gajeel grumbled. Levy scowled and punched his arm lightly.

"Because, Natsu is your friend. He accepted you after you joined the guild, and has always been there for us. Now it's our turn to help him." Levy said. Everyone nodded in agreement. Destructive and violent as he might be, Natsu Dragneel was the glue that bound Fairy Tail together; his accepting, playful nature hid his deeper side, but it was still there.

"Where is he now, anyways?" Erza asked, looking around. Mirajane spoke up.

"He said he was going back home. He looked really happy."

"So he finally got himself laid!" Cana screamed from behind bottles of beer, making everyone in the immediate vicinity jump. Levy blushed, and both Mirajane and Lisanna's matchmaker senses began tingling.

"I-I don't think that's it, Cana. The only things he could ever love are food and fighting." Levy said.

Cana snickered. "Who said anything about love? I was thinking more 'friends with benefits'." Erza began to look flushed as well.

"Fighting is MAN!" Elfman decided to join the fray, accidentally shoving Gajeel in the process.

"Oi! What was that for?!" Gajeel growled, shoving Elfman back. However, he didn't notice that he had elbowed Gray in the face by mistake.

"You want a piece of me?" Gray demanded. He was normally not very easily aggravated, but because Natsu hadn't argued with him all day, he had some...bottled up energy.

"Gray-sama is Juvia's! Love rival Elfman, love rival Gajeel, stay away!" Juvia screamed as they began fighting. Erza's eyebrow twitched. Mirajane sighed. Lisanna giggled. Levy just shook her head in bemusement.

"Ow! Keep yer hands to yourself, snowflake!"

"Shut up, metalhead!"

"WHAT?! Punching someone from behind isn't manly!"

"Juvia will not- ARE YOU GROPING GRAY-SAMA?!"

"No, wait, Juvia-"

"Take this! The plumbing is no match for me; I will douse you in water! BACK OFF, HE'S MINE!"

"My... strawberry cake!"

"Oh, damn. We're in trouble - where did my clothes go?"

"Ya think? No shit, Sherlock."

"MY CAKE! *sob* I shall need to use my Heaven's Wheel armour to avenge you!"

And that was how the guild hall of Fairy Tail ended up being destroyed (again).

* * *

The soldier walked on the path, breathing in the fresh air. His hair was windblown and messy, and his feet were tired of walking. He stopped and looked at the setting sun. He was glad that today he didn't have to go to that _place_ again, as today was a day off for him. Closing his eyes, he sat down for a minute. The secret that he held was consuming him, and he was still at a loss for what to do.

Or, more accurately, he was at a loss for the right thing to do, the good thing to do. The soldier sighed, as all his actions (and crimes) came back to him. He had caused so many pain...He had caused _her_ pain. He didn't want to hurt anyone else ever again.

Unbeknownst to him, two hooded figures watched him. He stopped as he heard a rustling sound. Glancing backwards for a moment, the soldier walked on. Alone.

* * *

" _What do you think?"_ The shorter figured asked softly, peeking out from behind the tree.

 _"Seems decent."_ The other person said, still gazing at the soldier's receding silhouette.

 _"Let's do it, then."_ Their voice was slightly excited.

 _"Agreed."_ And that settled the matter.

* * *

Natsu glanced at the screen of his cellphone, smiling slightly. His last parting gift to Lucy had been a phone of her own. She had been fascinated with it, experimenting and exclaiming occasionally how cool it was. She had locked every feature of the phone except for chatting and voice calling herself.

"I'll explore the world physically before I do it virtually." She had said firmly. He grinned at the memory and typed his reply to her texts.

Lucy Heartfilia: _H-Hey, Natsu._

Natsu_Dragon: _Hey Luce!_

Lucy Heartfilia: _Why does your name say Natsu Dragon instead of Dragneel?_

Natsu_Dragon: _It's called a screen name. Because you usually don't know who you're texting online, it's better not reveal your full name to strangers._

Lucy Heartfilia: _I see. Anyways, my eyes are hurting now, so I've got to go._

Natsu_Dragon: _No problem! Now we can talk to each other whenever we like, so you don't have to wait for me to come._

 _Lucy Heartfilia: This is incredible! I never knew technology like this existed._

 _Natsu_Dragon: Well, it does. Don't ask me the details; too much science for me :)_

 _Lucy Heartfilia: Wait, how did you make that smiling face?_

 _Natsu_Dragon: Oh, you type in a colon and parentheses._

 _Lucy Heartfilia: This really is amazing._

 _Natsu_Dragon: I'm really happy you like it, Lucy._

Lucy Heartfilia: _I like it a lot!_

 _Natsu_Dragon: I'm glad._

 _Lucy Heartfilia: Thank you, Natsu. Thank you so much._

Natsu_Dragon: _Don't thank me so much; you deserve more._

Lucy Heartfilia has logged off

Natsu_Dragon has logged off

He smiled and put his phone away. He was feeling almost giddy now that he didn't have to wait two weeks to talk to Lucy; now he could simply talk to her whenever he liked. However, he was still upset about her situation in general.

He needed to get her out of there. He couldn't even imagine what she felt like, being alone except for him. When she was a little girl who had had a nightmare, who did she come crying to? Who would she go to when she felt alone and by herself?

His fist clenched, as he thought of how he had first felt when he had seen her: He, a boy of eleven who was surrounded by friends, and she, a frail little flower who was solitary, alone.

She deserved freedom, and nothing less.

But how?

* * *

PS: The site I was using to read the manga for Fairy Tail doesn't have the chapters after Chapter 484. Have those chapters come out yet, and if so, is there an online (preferably free) site where I can read them? Please review if you know! Thanks =)

\- random103


	6. Chapter 6

Hi! Just a little note about the timing of this chapter - all the scenes in here take place two weeks after the events of Chapter 5. I previously haven't added dates to my stories, but I think I might begin doing that, just for clarification. I hope you like it; please leave a review! =)

A reply to Mia (Guest): Thanks for reviewing! Mangastream does have the chapters I was looking for - thank you. I hope you'll continue to enjoy my story =)

Thanks to _Kat the Neeko_ for their very sweet words as well :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail - it belongs to Hiro Mashima.

* * *

 _2nd June, X791, Lucy's House_

"Hey, Natsu!" Lucy smiled at him. She was cradling a cup of hot tea in her hands, despite the heat outside. He greeted her back, along with a wave and a smile. Walking in, he sat down.

"How've you been, Luce?"

"I'm good. Bored, but good. You?"

"I'm great. Got into a fight with ice freak, so Erza bashed our skulls in, but fine apart from that." He shivered at the memory as she giggled. Her golden hair was into pigtails today, two of them. She was wearing a comfortable pink T-shirt and denim shorts - she had long since grown out of the phase of dressing herself up for him. Her feet were bare, and she was dragging them across the floor.

"It must be nice to be friends with them." She said, a touch wistfully. He had told her all about his escapades with Erza, Gray, and the rest of his 'guild', he called it. He nodded, pretending not to notice her expression.

"Anyways, I'm hungry!" He gave her a fanged grin, attempting to change the subject.

"Aren't you always, Natsu?" She sighed. Pointing to the small kitchenette, she murmured, "Knock yourself out. There are extra supplies in storage, so I'll be okay."

"You're the best, Weirdo! That job made me hungry." He merrily tore his way through the meagre food she had. Although, she knew he'd never let her go hungry. Apparently, there was a humongous amount of unperishable food in the storage, enough to last even someone with an appetite like his a lifetime.

What did he even do, anyway? When she'd asked him about it a few years back, he'd replied vaguely "Oh, this and that." He'd clammed up when she pressed for details, which was unusual for him.

All she had to go on were two names: Tartaros and Fairy Tail. He'd accidentally told her about how "The guys back at Fairy Tail were acting weird," once, so there was that. It was probably his workplace or something. She'd find out.

Then, there was Tartaros.

She shivered.

She had a blurry memory from when she was twelve. She was still relatively reserved around Natsu, unconvinced that he was there to help. Desperate to befriend her, he had brought her an old, paper newspaper from outside. It was the first time she'd become aware that a world existed _apart_ from the four walls of her little house. She spent her time in solitude, reading books or writing or staring blankly at the walls, unknowing that there were people outside of her house.

 _"Look, Luigi!" He'd waved about the newspaper excitedly._

 _"It's Lucy." She huffed, acting upset. Secretly, though, her curiosity had been piqued by the strange looking paper._

 _"Yeah, yeah. Anyways, look what I have for 'ya! It's not a book like the ones you're always reading; it's a newspaper." He thrust it in her face. Pushing his hand away, she repeated the new word, her face thoughtful._

 _"News...paper?"_

 _"Yup!" He grinned widely. "It's, like, a way to let people know what's going on in different parts of the world." He sat down next to her, his left leg touching her right. Pushing it into her lap, he motioned towards the words. "Here - you can read it."_

 _She pushed herself away from him, feeling strange. Was this normal in the outside world she knew nothing of, to talk and laugh and play like it was nothing?_

 _Maybe it was. She didn't know._

 _"You okay?" He asked, his face suddenly acquiring a worried look._

 _"Huh?" She asked blankly._

 _"You face is kinda red." He said, reaching out for her. Feeling her cheeks blush even deeper, she swatted his hand away._

 _"I'm good."_

 _"Then take it!" He said, shoving his hand in front of her face enthusiastically._

 _She hesitantly took the proffered newspaper, her hand gliding across the front page. There was a headline that said in bold black lettering 'Sabertooth Wins Grand Battle Games'_

 _"Sabertooth?" She questioned._

 _"Yeah. I wanted to enter, but Gram-I mean, yeah, those bastards won it." Natsu said, smiling lazily at her to cover up his mistake. She shrugged and glanced back down, flipping the pages. She couldn't help herself; she was fascinated by all the tidbits of information about the world she'd never seen. One article, in particular, caught her interest._

 _"Tartaros?" She asked, expecting him to give a noncommittal answer. She did not, however, expect him to stiffen and then snatch the newspaper away from her, scanning it furiously as she gazed, bewildered._

 _"What? What's the matter?" She demanded._

 _"N-Nothing. Don't say that word ever again, though." He said, looking nervously around them. She stared in bemusement. Whatever could make this headstrong boy so cautious had to be fierce indeed._

 _"Okay." She said, swallowing her questions. He nodded. Feeling bad for spoiling his mood, she tried to cheer him up by asking him if he wanted to eat. The way his face lit up when she mentioned any food was so endearing she just had to chuckle._

"Luce? Luce? Lucy?!"

Coming back to the present, she gazed into Natsu's worried green eyes.

"You okay? For a while there, I thought you were unconscious." He smiled toothily at her, appearing relieved now that she was back. She forced her face into a smile.

"Sorry, I must've zoned out." He sensed something in her tone, though, because he leaned closer and gazed into her chocolate brown eyes, narrowing his own gaze.

"You sure you're fine? You can tell me anything, you know."

"I know. Don't worry, I'm good." She felt a pang of guilt for lying to him, but she didn't want to burden him with her own troubled. Anyways, if Natsu found out she was trying to piece together the information then he'd just ask her to stop.

"If you're sure." He said reluctantly, and she nodded. Suddenly, she realized how close they were and scrambled away from him, blushing. He cocked his head.

"You alright, Luce? Your face is a little red."

"Why do I have a sense of déjà vu?" She grumbled to herself, waving away his concerns. He shrugged.

"If you're totally sure you're okay, then I've gotta go." He said.

"Oh...Well, okay. Bye, then. See you, Natsu!" She waved, giving him a bright smile. He grinned and gave her a quick one-armed hug, racing out the door.

"Bye, Weirdo!" She heard faintly. Shaking her head, she headed towards her desk, intending to write out the events of the day as she always did.

Her mind was made, she realized. She was going to finally do it, even if Natsu wasn't aware of it. She knew he'd be very worried, but she'd probably leave a note just so he knew she hadn't been kidnapped or anything. It would be hard, though.

 _I'm going to escape,_ she decided _. And I'll do it tonight. Anyone else be damned._

* * *

 _1st June, X791, Unknown Location_

The three of them nodded to another, the sacred pact finally completed.

"What should we name it, then?" The small figure bounced around.

"Redemption?" Asked the soldier hesitantly. The third figure shook their head.

"Too obvious."

"Killers of Crime!" Said the shorter one excitedly.

"...Really?" The other two asked.

"Crime Sorcière." Murmured the taller one.

"Witches Guild...It seems suitable." The soldier said.

"Alright, then! From this moment on, Crime Sorcière shall henceforth destroy all dark guilds and restore peace to the universe!" Shouted the younger figure.

"Rather zealous, but will do." Said the tall figure.

"Crime Sorcière...A form of redeeming myself for all my crimes..." The soldier was grateful he would have a chance to undo some of the damage he'd caused. But it wouldn't be enough.

It would never be enough.

* * *

I hope this was enjoyable. Please review, it helps to get feedback :) - I'm sure we can all guess who those three are now. I won't reveal their names until the next chapter, though. Also, the timeline of the story doesn't really align with the canon universe dates - that's because I didn't incorporate the time skip on Tenrou island, so I apologize if that was confusing.

I hope this chapter was good; sorry if it wasn't. Thanks for reading, anyway!

\- random103


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